Litvak or Chassid?

A Torah scroll. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Someone close to me was explaining why he thought I was so dismissive, particularly of religious views that I did not agree with. In his opinion, this reflected the distinction between the rigorous Lithuanian academic yeshiva training, and, on the other hand, the Chassidic tendency to enjoy a more mystical, more laid-back, even casual, life of joy.

As in all such theories, generalizations are risky — but there may well be an element of truth here.